Roof structure repairs in West Yorkshire

Area: West Yorkshire
Pricing region: Yorkshire and the Humber
Ground: Clay in parts
Towns listed: 22

Is West Yorkshire prone to ground movement?

West Yorkshire lies largely on the Coal Measures, with shallow historic workings around Leeds, Wakefield and Kirklees, and gritstone hills to the west. Steep sites mean retaining walls are common.

Historic coal workings are recorded beneath parts of West Yorkshire, and a coal mining search is worth checking where movement is unexplained. Housing stock in West Yorkshire: Stone back-to-backs and terraces, mill housing, Victorian villas and post-war estates.

From first photo to finished repair

Send photos
Photograph the roof from across the street, both slopes if you can, and the loft timbers with a torch. Include the eaves and any cracks just below them. From these we can usually tell sag from spread and whether an engineer is needed.
Engineer’s design where needed
Where purlins, struts or ties must be redesigned, or the roof carries a heavier covering, an independent chartered structural engineer is appointed to specify the work. We can arrange this, and their design sets the sizes and fixings.
Prop, strengthen and tie
The roof is propped where members are being changed, then rafters, purlins, struts and ties are repaired or added as specified. Coverings disturbed by the work are relaid, and building control inspects where the work needs it.

Symptoms that point to roof structure repairs

Horizontal cracks in the wall just below the eaves or ceiling line
Roof slope looking hollow or wavy between the ridge and the gutter
Daylight through the tiles, or timber that is damp, stained or crumbling
Top of an outside wall leaning out at eaves level

Guide prices for roof structure repairs in West Yorkshire

For West Yorkshire we use Yorkshire and the Humber rates. Treat the table as a budget guide, inc VAT; the price you pay is the one on your written quote.

Guide prices inc VAT on Yorkshire and the Humber rates. Items marked est. are our estimates.
Item	Guide price	Per
Repairing or doubling a rafter	£285 – £570	per rafter
Purlin and strut strengthening	£1,150 – £2,850	per roof
Tying in roof spread (straps and ties)est.	£760 – £2,400	per roof

Methods for roof structure repairs

Purlin and strut strengthening

Undersized purlins are strengthened with extra timber or replaced, and new struts are taken down to a load-bearing wall. Where there is no suitable wall, an engineer designs the load path. Temporary props hold the roof while members are changed.

Best for: Sagging slopes, slim purlins and struts removed from the loft

Tying in roof spread

New ties, collars or steel straps connect opposite rafters, or fix the rafter feet and wall plate firmly to the ceiling joists, so the outward thrust is resisted. Leaning wall heads are strapped back to the roof, and a badly spread roof may need partly rebuilding first.

Best for: Walls pushed out at eaves level by spreading rafters

Repairing or doubling rafters

Cracked, sagging or rotten rafters are strengthened by fixing a new timber alongside, often called doubling, and rotten rafter feet are cut back and spliced. The work is usually done from inside the loft with the tiles left in place, unless the covering is coming off anyway.

Best for: Individual rafters that have cracked, sagged or rotted at the feet

Roof structure repairs: purlin and struts added, roof spread tied in. Indicative drawing, not to scale.

Do you need approval for roof structure repairs in England?

In England, underpinning and other work that alters or strengthens a wall or foundation is building work under the Building Regulations (Part A, structure), so building control approves and inspects it. Like-for-like repairs often are not, and we tell you which applies before a price is agreed. Work to a party wall, or excavation close to a neighbour’s foundations, can also need a notice under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996.

Find roof structure repairs in your West Yorkshire town

Frequently asked questions

Why do houses in West Yorkshire crack?

West Yorkshire lies largely on the Coal Measures, with shallow historic workings around Leeds, Wakefield and Kirklees, and gritstone hills to the west. Steep sites mean retaining walls are common. Historic coal workings are recorded beneath parts of West Yorkshire, and a coal mining search is worth checking where movement is unexplained. Only an investigation on site can say why a particular building has moved.

How much will roof structure repairs cost in West Yorkshire?

On Yorkshire and the Humber rates, roof structure repairs starts from about £285 per rafter, including VAT. The written price depends on the extent of the damage, access and whether an engineer or building control is needed.

Do roof structure repairs need building control?

Usually yes, where the structure is strengthened or altered, or the covering becomes significantly heavier. In England and Wales that falls under Part A, in Scotland it generally needs a building warrant, and in Northern Ireland council building control approves it. We deal with building control where the work needs it.

Do I need a structural engineer for roof repairs?

For like-for-like repairs to a few rafters, often not. Where purlins, struts or ties are being redesigned, the covering is getting heavier or the walls are being pushed out, you usually do. Where the repair needs an engineer’s design or sign-off, an independent chartered structural engineer is appointed, and we can arrange this.

What is roof spread?

Roof spread is when the feet of the rafters move outward because nothing is tying them together firmly enough. As they spread, the ridge drops and the tops of the walls are pushed out, often with a horizontal crack below the eaves. It is fixed by adding ties, collars or straps, sometimes with rebuilding.